86-350-460-dually Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 I still have to test it, but I believe my alternator has taken a dump. I read the 3G conversion page on here a few times. It looks possible, just need to find the alternator and grab the electrical cord with it. However, the one thing that concerns me a bit is, how do I know this alternator works, and will continue to work for a short period of time? I mean, I'd love to have 90 or 130 amps out of my alternator. Do you disassemble these alternators after you find them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 A salvage will usually give you an exchange if you bring it back w/in a certain period of time. And most part stores will test an alternator for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzFace2 Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 A salvage will usually give you an exchange if you bring it back w/in a certain period of time. And most part stores will test an alternator for free. I have found new parts cheap on Amazon and I may go that way when the time comes. The only thing you may need to take apart would be the pulleys to swap and space out with a washer. Dave ---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 It may just be the 2G "firewire" charge pigtail that has failed. There are cheap ~$7 kits to replace that. If you have a parts store test any alternator, make SURE they test the diodes and not just the output current. This is the one I'm using. It's been good for some years now. $67 new, delivered to your door, with a one year warranty. I had bought a fused charge cable and the regulator harness from a company (RJM) now out of business, but I see them available on eBay and even from DB itself. You could make your own if you're handy. You're going to need *about* 30" lead to reach a fuse mounting point on the inner fender and another foot long cable to go from fuse to where the battery+ nuts to the starter relay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve83 Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 I still have to test it, but I believe my alternator has taken a dump.This caption explains how to test a 1G: https://supermotors.net/getfile/897843/thumbnail/alternator1g.jpg The PREVious caption explains how to test a 2G & 3G (same VR)....how do I know this alternator works...?My thinking has always been: very few vehicles go to the JY for a bad alt. And very few vehicles with bad alts are driven around until they're wrecked. And very few alts GO bad just sitting in the JY, or are damaged (latently) in a wreck. So the vast majority of JY alts are probably still good, which is what I've observed from the MANY JY alts I've bought (I've lost count, but certainly more than 20, and I think I've only gotten 1 DOA, which the JY happily swapped out). But I also frequently find shiny-clean alts in the JY with new reman stickers on them, and they cost the same as the filthy alts....and will continue to work for a short period of time?Even new, that's NOT a certainty. But for the money, I haven't found new to be worth it - all my alts are JY, and I have very few problems.Do you disassemble these alternators after you find them?Not usually. But now that I have my sandblaster back at 100% , I probably will. But for most people, it's usually sufficient to simply CLEAN all the mounting surfaces, and the output stud & terminal so there's good metal-to-metal contact everywhere. https://supermotors.net/getfile/825375/thumbnail/alternatormountboss.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86-350-460-dually Posted December 25, 2018 Author Share Posted December 25, 2018 It may just be the 2G "firewire" charge pigtail that has failed. There are cheap ~$7 kits to replace that. If you have a parts store test any alternator, make SURE they test the diodes and not just the output current. This is the one I'm using. It's been good for some years now. $67 new, delivered to your door, with a one year warranty. I had bought a fused charge cable and the regulator harness from a company (RJM) now out of business, but I see them available on eBay and even from DB itself. You could make your own if you're handy. You're going to need *about* 30" lead to reach a fuse mounting point on the inner fender and another foot long cable to go from fuse to where the battery+ nuts to the starter relay. This is the one I'm using. It's been good for some years now. $67 new, delivered to your door, with a one year warranty. I don't know how to put that stuff in quotes^ I'm curious if that one fits the V belt or the Pully system? I have the V belt system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86-350-460-dually Posted December 25, 2018 Author Share Posted December 25, 2018 I still have to test it, but I believe my alternator has taken a dump.This caption explains how to test a 1G: https://supermotors.net/getfile/897843/thumbnail/alternator1g.jpg The PREVious caption explains how to test a 2G & 3G (same VR)....how do I know this alternator works...?My thinking has always been: very few vehicles go to the JY for a bad alt. And very few vehicles with bad alts are driven around until they're wrecked. And very few alts GO bad just sitting in the JY, or are damaged (latently) in a wreck. So the vast majority of JY alts are probably still good, which is what I've observed from the MANY JY alts I've bought (I've lost count, but certainly more than 20, and I think I've only gotten 1 DOA, which the JY happily swapped out). But I also frequently find shiny-clean alts in the JY with new reman stickers on them, and they cost the same as the filthy alts....and will continue to work for a short period of time?Even new, that's NOT a certainty. But for the money, I haven't found new to be worth it - all my alts are JY, and I have very few problems.Do you disassemble these alternators after you find them?Not usually. But now that I have my sandblaster back at 100% , I probably will. But for most people, it's usually sufficient to simply CLEAN all the mounting surfaces, and the output stud & terminal so there's good metal-to-metal contact everywhere. https://supermotors.net/getfile/825375/thumbnail/alternatormountboss.jpg Thanks for all that info Steve. I'm planning a trip this week to my local JY, but we're a small town and only have one. With that being said, I'd just like a ballpark estimate of the price/alternator that you would expect to pay? This is my first time to the JY hard, so I don't know what if their pricing will be fair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 I don't know how to put that stuff in quotes^ I'm curious if that one fits the V belt or the Pully system? I have the V belt system. When you hit reply the pop up window has a a ["] button at the top left, or you can manually enter the html tags to bracket the text you wish to quote. The alternator I linked is for a 3.8l Taurus. It comes with a serpentine pulley installed. You would need to swap your current V-belt pulley, as explained in Gary's upgrade tutorial. This is much easier if you have an impact gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 When you hit reply the pop up window has a a ["] button at the top left, or you can manually enter the html tags to bracket the text you wish to quote. The alternator I linked is for a 3.8l Taurus. It comes with a serpentine pulley installed. You would need to swap your current V-belt pulley, as explained in Gary's upgrade tutorial. This is much easier if you have an impact gun. The only issue I have with quotes is that if the previous person has also quoted you get both quotes. But, it is pretty easy to take out what you don't want. Anyway, an impact gun does make it easy. All the ones I've hit with one come loose immediately. Swap the pulleys, remembering the spacer, and tighten it up. You are done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86-350-460-dually Posted December 26, 2018 Author Share Posted December 26, 2018 When you hit reply the pop up window has a a ["] button at the top left, or you can manually enter the html tags to bracket the text you wish to quote. The alternator I linked is for a 3.8l Taurus. It comes with a serpentine pulley installed. You would need to swap your current V-belt pulley, as explained in Gary's upgrade tutorial. This is much easier if you have an impact gun. The only issue I have with quotes is that if the previous person has also quoted you get both quotes. But, it is pretty easy to take out what you don't want. Anyway, an impact gun does make it easy. All the ones I've hit with one come loose immediately. Swap the pulleys, remembering the spacer, and tighten it up. You are done. I thought I had remembered something about how the 130 amp alternators were not good on the V belt pullys because of something to do with the belt? I understand you gotta swap the pullys, but other than that, there isn't any concerns going with the 130 amp? I'm going to hopefully find a 90's taurus tomorrow at the junk yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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